As we are all pushed forward we step onto another platform, it’s still complete darkness. No one is saying a word. I’m pushed forward even more as we hear the doors of the tram close and feel the gust of wind as it leaves us all standing on the platform in the darkness. I feel the people around me yet no one is making a noise, all of us anxious for what comes next. It feels like an eternity, the quietness, the darkness, the unspoken energy in the room increasing to a level where it feels like you could choke on it. As we continues to wait, we finally see a glimmer of a red light far away.
It flickers almost as if it was toying with us, getting bigger and then flickering away, brighter and then darker and then gone again. When I try to focus on it, the light seems to disappear and then reappear as soon as I avert my eyes. It was then I realized that the room was hot, and getting hotter. I still couldn’t see anything besides the flickering red light in the distance but I can tell the people were starting to take off their coats and clothes. It is so hot I can feel the heat come through my shoes, I’m sweating and I feel my ear start dripping blood again. The light has gotten closer and appears to be constant now even when I stare directly at it, it keeps changing from a red to an orange to a darker red color. I’m almost transfixed by the transformations of it when suddenly I feel myself get pushed to the ground.
The ground is so hot it burns my hands as I began to push myself up. In the commotion someone steps on my hand and I yell out as I feel my finger snap backwards. As soon as I yell out everyone started screaming at once. It happens so quickly that it’s disorienting. I’m trying to get off the burning hot ground while trying to ignore my finger throbbing and everyone is screaming. It is still so dark and I can’t see the flicker anymore. The screams are so loud, I just curl into a fetal position to avoid being crushed again and put my hands over my ears.
I am thankful now, that I didn’t take off my coat even though it was so hot, because now it was protecting me, a little bit at least, from the heat radiating from the floor. I am sweating so much and it is so loud. I am completely disoriented and barely even notice a sudden whooshing sensation, until the deafening silence that followed, and then there is a second whoosh. I stay curled up but try to get a glimpse of something, anything, but it’s still so dark. I hear a thump and then another thump, and then so many thumps and I yell out when something falls on me. I reached to move it off me and scream when I realize it is a head.
© 2017 Mj Gale
The Phantom Rem 
Wow. Looking forward to more!
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